


Where We End Up

by second_hand_heaven



Category: Suits (US TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fights, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, One-sided Donna/Rachel, One-sided Mike/Harvey, Pining, almost canon compliant, s4e6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:34:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26660740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/second_hand_heaven/pseuds/second_hand_heaven
Summary: After his fight with Rachel (and subsequent fight with Logan) Mike goes to the only person left in this world he can trust.After her fight with Mike, Rachel does the same.In which Donna and Harvey pick up the pieces following the Rachel/Mike fight, and do their best to put their hearts aside to help their friend.
Relationships: Donna Paulsen/Rachel Zane, Mike Ross/Harvey Specter, Mike Ross/Rachel Zane
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	Where We End Up

**Author's Note:**

> My first Suits fic. This has been sitting in my wips file forever, so I finally got around to patching it up and posting it. I'm only up to s7 so I have no clue what's going on in Suits rn, but hopefully you like what's going on with this fic! Anyway, enjoy!
> 
> -Nova xx

Rachel’s first instinct is to break something. Her wine glass maybe, or a few dinner plates, let them shatter into a million pieces on the floor, just like she wants to right now. Maybe she’ll even smash that stupid panda painting that Mike loves so much. But no, she can't do that, not to Mike or to the memory of his grandmother. 

And besides, that's not her first instinct. No, she wants to run after Mike, somehow get him to understand what happened, how much of a mistake this all is, and get him to come home. 

The anger comes next, seething and burning as it rises in her throat. Anger at Logan, for putting her in this position, anger at Mike for leaving instead of hearing her out. Anger at herself, most of all, for causing this mess. She should have just listened to Donna. 

Donna. 

How could Rachel be so stupid? Donna knows what she’s talking about, and Rachel should have listened. But no, she just had to drop this all on Mike, when Donna told her specifically not to, and it went to shit, just like Donna said it would. 

Staying here, in her and Mike’s apartment feels wrong, makes her skin crawl. She can’t stay here tonight. But where can she go? She can't go to her parents, that she knows for sure. She's not in the mood for a lecture, or a scathing review of all of Mike's flaws in an attempt to make her feel better. None of her friends would understand. Well, maybe not ‘none’...

It's late, but Donna looks as put-together as ever when she opens the door. It's not like Rachel really expected any different, but it's reassuring to see that the rest of her world hasn't collapsed in on itself tonight. 

“You told him.” It’s no question, and again, something is right with Rachel’s universe, because Donna still knows everything. Well, almost everything. She doesn’t look like she’s expecting company, least of all Rachel’s. 

It’s another wound to Rachel’s chest, another person she’s disappointed tonight. She nods, a new onslaught of tears threatening to spill, her throat closing over with the effort to hold the tears back. 

Donna's face falters, expression softening. She wraps her arms around Rachel, tucking her under Donna’s chin. “You’re okay.”

She’s not, she’s really not okay, but hearing Donna say it makes her believe she could be. It’s not herself she’s worried about though. “I don't know where he is, and I'm so worried.”

“You know where he is,” Donna assures, not unkindly. “Where would Mike go when he has nowhere else?” 

And the answer is obvious, maybe a little too obvious. At least she knows Mike will be safe. Harvey would let nothing hurt his- Mike. Except maybe Rachel. Her stomach sinks like a stone. “Donna, I really fucked up.”

“Yeah you did. This is why you should listen to me.”

Tears spring from the corners of Rachel’s eyes once more. 

“Hey, none of that.” She takes both of Rachel's hands in her own. “I forgive you. And given time, I think Mike will too.”

Rachel shakes her head and tries to pull her hands away. “You don't think that.”

Donna's lips press a tight line. “I do. Because Mike loves you.”

“You think that'll be enough?” She looks up at Donna, hopeful as she can be, but Donna’s thin smile doesn’t grant a lot of hope. 

“You're staying here tonight,” Donna says instead, and her tone leaves no room for questions. 

Rachel nods. It's not like there's anywhere else she'd rather be right now. 

When Rachel slips into the bathroom to clean up, Donna grabs her phone and starts typing. 

Harvey hates it when she texts instead of calls, but she has no idea what state Mike is in right now and she doesn't want to interrupt. She keeps it short and sweet, letting him know that Rachel is with her, safe albeit in a bad state of mind. 

On one hand, she’s upset on Mike’s behalf. She understands, of course, how these things can happen, but cheating is cheating, and the kid has certainly grown on her. On the other hand, Rachel is hurting, and she can't stay mad at  _ Rachel. _ Rachel’s her kitten: independent enough, wanting to prove herself to anyone and everyone, but she always comes home, tail curling around Donna's calf in an apology for being gone so long. 

Donna’s never been shy about which way, or ways, her attention may be drawn, even made a playful pass at Rachel once or twice, but Rachel only had eyes for Mike and Donna respects that. But Rachel is  _ hot,  _ and Donna has eyes, okay? She also has a heart, a traitorous heart that beats too fast when Rachel beams up at her, or aches when she sees Rachel and Mike together. But she’s Rachel’s friend, first and foremost, which means doing everything in her power to help Rachel through this and bring her and Mike back together, despite any other feelings she may or may not have. 

* * *

Mike can still taste the blood in his mouth as he knocks on Harvey's door. 

Harvey looks him down and up, brow quirked. “What happened to you?”

“Logan Sanders.”

Harvey's eyebrows shoot upwards. “He did this to you?”

It’s almost sweet that Harvey looks ready to size Logan up and take him for another round, but no, this isn’t Harvey’s fight. Least of all, because Logan is Harvey’s  _ client. _ Mike rakes a hand through his hair. He shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be putting Harvey in this position. But in truth, it’s not like Mike had anywhere else to go. There’s no one else he can trust. “I started it. Or at least, I started this round. If I believe Rachel, which I don't, he started this.”

“What happened, Mike?” Firm hands guide him to sit on one of Harvey's bar stools, holding him there for a moment like Harvey doesn't trust him not to fall. Like Harvey will catch him, will promise to, if Mike starts to fall. After everything, Harvey is here. 

Tears threaten to escape from the corners of his eyes. “She kissed him. She told me that nothing was going to happen, and then she kissed him!” 

Harvey curses under his breath, something that Mike can't quite catch, but the tone is obvious. A sick part of him is glad to have Harvey on his side like this, given Harvey’s personal history with infidelity. There’s more fire on his tongue, more sharp words waiting to be said, Mike can tell, but Harvey doesn’t unleash any of it. “Let me take a look at that eye,” Harvey says instead, taking Mike’s jaw between his thumb and forefinger. 

Under Harvey’s scrutiny, under his touch, Mike feels the stress of tonight beginning to melt away. He’s safe here, and despite everything that’s going on, Harvey would never let anything hurt him. 

It’s a little bit late for that. 

Harvey leaves for a moment and returns with an ice pack that he presses to Mike’s cheek. The firm pressure and the bite of the cold against his cheek has him gasping, hand instinctively moving to the place of pain. Mike’s hand finds Harvey’s, still warm despite the chill of the ice pack in his hand. Mike keeps his hand there, resting over the top of Harvey’s, and if it were any other time, Mike’s sure that Harvey would be giving him shit for it. Instead, Harvey remains silent, stoic, one hand healing Mike, the other on Mike’s shoulder keeping him grounded and upright. 

“Thank you,” Mike says after much too long, looking up to meet Harvey’s eyes. There’s a softness there, like he’s caught Harvey off guard, unarmed and unarmoured. 

“Of course.” Harvey says it like he means it, like there was no way he would have turned Mike away at the door, like there was no way Harvey would abandon him like this. 

Dizziness washes over him again and he tightens his grip on Harvey’s arm. Without a word, Harvey guides Mike from the stool across the short distance to the sofa, where he’s far less likely to take a tumble. Mike lays his head against the back of the sofa and groans. 

Harvey readjusts the ice pack. “Can I get you anything? Some Tylenol?”

“Alcohol?”

Harvey looks at him for a moment, before he shrugs. “Sure.” He slides his hand out from under Mike’s and makes sure it’s in position. Mike appreciates it, even if he misses the warmth of Harvey’s hand beneath his own. 

Harvey finds the decanter of scotch and pours two glasses, handing one to Mike. He knocks it back in one go, and holds out his glass for another. Another sigh, but Harvey complies, before taking a seat across from Mike. 

They sit in silence for a long while, staring into their glasses. 

“You can't stay with her,” Harvey says, finally, breaking the silence. 

Despite it all, Mike feels the tug to rise to her defence. “Harvey, I love her.”

“But you can't trust her. Relationships can't survive on love alone, Mike, so either you figure out how to trust her after this, or you walk away.” Harvey takes another sip. “But I was actually talking about tonight. You can't stay with her  _ tonight _ . Take the couch. For as long as you need.”

Mike can't quite digest everything Harvey just said, and yeah, maybe he should have let Harvey check for a concussion. “Harvey-"

“Don't argue with me. It's late, and since you aren't working for me anymore, I actually care that you get some sleep every once in a while.”

It catches him off-guard, the blatant admission of it all. “You care?”

“You know I do.” And there’s a softness in Harvey’s gaze that almost has Mike believing him. 

Mike sighs, exhaustion settling in his bones. “I miss this, I miss how we were before I left.”

“You never had to leave,” Harvey says, and Mike really doesn’t want to get into this right now. 

“Yeah, I did. I couldn’t let you take the fall for this, for me.” But if he never left, this mess with him and Rachel right now would be non-existent. Or maybe they’d still be fighting, just over something else. Either way, if he could go back and change it, he wouldn’t. Keeping Harvey safe, even if it meant this kind of heartbreak, was always worth it. 

Harvey swallows. “This isn’t something I can fix for you,” he says, and if Mike didn't know better, he'd say Harvey sounded a little helpless. 

“No,” Mike concedes, “but you opened the door when I knocked.” And right now, it’s the closest Mike can be to admitting just how much he needed that. How much he needs Harvey to be there for him, with a drink in hand and some tough love to offer. 

Harvey watches him for a few moments before nodding, understanding, always understanding. He stands, disappearing down the hall and leaving Mike alone with his thoughts. 

The safety he feels in Harvey’s apartment, feels with Harvey himself, won’t last. Everything will come crashing down in the morning, he’s sure of it. Harvey is Logan’s  _ lawyer _ for Christ’s sake, Mike shouldn’t have put him in this position. Harvey put on his usual mask of bravado before, but Mike knows this won’t look good at all for Harvey or the firm, and ignoring it won’t help. 

Mike appreciates it though; the idea that Harvey would choose him over his client. It makes him feel important, more important than money, more important than winning. It's a heady feeling. 

Harvey returns and places a pile of neatly folded items in Mike’s arms. Blankets, a pillow, and a fresh pair of clothes, soft and smelling just faintly of Harvey. Mike blames the instinct to bury his face in the fabric on the blow he took to his head. 

Harvey lays a hand on Mike’s shoulder one last time. “Get some rest, Mike.”

If Mike was a braver man, he’d have hugged Harvey. But he just nods, accepting the warmth of Harvey’s touch lingering longer than he’d usually let it. “Night, Harvey,” he says, “thank you.”

Once Mike is asleep, Harvey calls Donna. Her earlier update on Rachel had been assuring on some level. Despite the shit she just pulled, Harvey is glad she’s safe and with Donna. He’s not sure Mike could handle something happening to her, even after their fight. It was a selfish part of him that kept the information to himself, let Mike believe that staying at Harvey's apartment would be the best way to avoid Rachel until he was ready. 

_ “Looks like our lovebirds aren't playing nice tonight,” _ Donna says, her voice low yet assured. Always assured, even the way she makes such flippant statements that speak to the truth of their relationships with Mike and Rachel:  _ our _ lovebirds. 

“No,” he agrees.

_ “I told her not to tell Mike.” _

“She shouldn’t have done it in the first place,” he grumbles, and he knows Donna won’t fight him on that. “This is a mess,” he tells her, “it shouldn't have to be our mess.”

_ “I know a lie when I hear it. It's always been our mess, these two. Although if I'm being honest-” _ Harvey smiles, knowing the next words out of her mouth,  _ “-that puppy of yours sure leaves a trail of destruction.” _

“I could say the same to you.” Especially after tonight. “And besides,” he says, turning to watch Mike softly snore on his couch, “how could I say no to a face like that?”

Donna sighs, but it's all full of fondness.  _ “Yeah, I know.”  _

He hangs up, still watching the slow ride and fall of Mike's chest. 

It's ridiculous, the way he and Donna are reduced to this, caring for people who could never return their feelings. Donna's done it before and moved on, and he's sure that she can do it again. But himself? He's not so certain. 

He'll have to, though. He can't carry on like this, not when Mike can't let Rachel go. So Harvey will do anything and everything he can for Mike, and hope that the ache in his chest begins to fade. 

Harvey pulls the blanket up to Mike’s chin, his knuckles brushing against Mike’s jaw. He lets his hand linger there a moment longer than necessary, taking in the moment for as long as he can. Tomorrow, Mike will leave, and he and Rachel will begin to patch things up. And Harvey will stay, offer anything he can, and watch it all unfold. 

He draws his hand away and returns to his full height, but it takes him a moment longer to drag his eyes from Mike’s sleeping form. He knows he won’t sleep a wink, but he heads to his bedroom, putting space between himself and Mike before he does anything else stupid, like press a goodnight kiss to Mike’s forehead. 

_ FIN _

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are always welcome. If you want to chat, feel free to hit me up at my tumblr second-hand-heaven
> 
> -Nova xx


End file.
